Marine mammals and birds of the Kara and Barents Seas in the Dudinka - Murmansk section: distribution and abundance according to the ship′s records, assessment of the impact of navigation and recommendations for protection
I. I. CHUPIN, E. N. KHODUKIN
Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals of SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Keywords: Northern Sea Route, Yenisei River, Yenisei Gulf, Kara Sea, Barents Sea, Arctic, quantitative accounting, seabirds and mammals
Abstract
Quantitative studies and observations of seabirds and mammals were carried out in the NSR section (Dudinka-Murmansk). The entire route was divided into three segments - the Yenisei River and the Yenisei Bay, the Kara Sea and the Barents Sea. 34 species of birds belonging to 5 orders and 5 species of marine mammals were noted. The density of seabird distribution in summer on the NSR transects was highest in the mouth of the Yenisei, the Yenisei Bay (9.96), and the Barents Sea (8.02). In the autumn period, it was much higher in the Kara Sea (43.5) than in the Barents Sea (13.3) and in the mouth of the Yenisei and the Yenisei Bay (6.28 ind./10 km). The vessel attracted such species of gulls as Kittiwake, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull, which followed on it up to 1000 km. The main distance is the response of Ringed Seal to the movements of the vessel is 100-300 m. It is recommended to avoid passing vehicles in places where seals congregate than 500 meters. Monitoring of seabirds and mammals should be carried out in the form of periodic (seasonal) estimates of animal abundance.
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